The Decline of Braille

Whenever I’m in an elevator, I take note of whether or not the button numbers are printed in Braille. Not entirely sure why, but I’ve always thought Braille was a brilliant invention—simple, intuitive, and oh-so-useful. And it’s got such a cool backstory, with its roots in 19th-century French spycraft.

But according to a recent report from the National Federation of the Blind, Braille is on its way out:

Fewer than 10 percent of the 1.3 million legally blind Americans read Braille, the system of ra